December Check-In

Wow! What a crazy month! With extended hours at work and coworkers booking time off for Christmas parties and related events, I'm surprised I even made time to shower. My goals for December all involved making time for my passions and hobbies, which I managed to do once or twice each, but unfortunately not more.

Seek mentors and coaches - acting, voice, guitar, piano

Have been emailing back and forth with a potential voice coach. We made one time to meet but it had to be cancelled at the last minute so we will make another time in the New Year.

Go to dance classes

Made it to Eric Malapad's Grooving class at Harbour a day or two before I left to come up north to visit family. I had a lot of fun - will definitely be returning to this class some time in the new year
Stretch every day

Fail
Find time to make crafts and watch movies

I think I managed to do this twice in the month of December. Not too bad!
Research further education

I definitely accomplished this one! I made a chart to compare all of my options and have decided to apply to Langara, Vancouver Acting School, and Capilano for next year!
Indulge in time to submit to agents and research auditions 

Hmm... Not so great at this one
Prepare for auditions as regular basis

I did practice tap dancing in my kitchen once or twice... But no singing or monologue practice.

Set aside time for hobbies

Getting better, but still not perfect. Since I've been home visiting my parents, I've had a ton of spare time to just lounge around and do fun projects on my computer, watch TV, which is great. I couldn't bring all my craft stuff up with me - that would have been silly, but I have been reading and taking baths. I even tried something new! I went snowboarding for the first time with a bunch of elementary school friends! Fun! And went shopping with my dad and have been going out for lunch. Now the trick is to not get super stressed out when I get back to Vancouver.

November/December

November's focus was beauty - inside and out.

I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to add anything new to my routines. That's the trick though, isn't it? Making the time to do what is important to us. Don't give up on me yet. I haven't. All is not lost. So I've been failing at the Happiness Project for the last couple months, but that is not to say that NO improvement has been made and these are all things I will continue to work on in the future.

November's Goals:

Floss every day
Start using mouth wash
Smile even when I don't feel like smiling
Cut back on coffee, red wine, and pop - Drink through straw whenever possible (HA!)
Find a fluoride night treatment
Drink water after every meal
Get a tongue scraper
Stop brushing wet hair. Get a wide toothed comb
Get a heat protecting spray
Experiment with hair styles that use no heat or products
Drink more water
Rinse with cool water
Try a new hair cut!
Find deep conditioning treatment
Invest in good quality hair brush
Allow enough time in morning for hair to dry properly
See dermatologist
Always take off make up before bed and/or working out (Carry wipes with me to bf's house)
Buy proper exfoliator and astringent
Get a pumice stone and cuticle pusher
Take off nail polish as soon as it starts to chip
Recolor tattoo
Incorporate foot exercises, massages, and stretches into daily life
Remember to wash feet in shower
Moisturize feet before bed
Cut down on sugar
Eat breakfast
Pack a healthy lunch and snacks
Limit eating out to three times a week
Go to bed at 12:30 every night
Wake up at 8:30 every day
Sleep with blinds and window open and lots of covers
Walk and bike more
Aim to hit the gym twice a week, the pool once a week, and at least one dance class.
Splurge on a few new wardrobe items
Invest in proper fitting bras
Finally get those ear piercings I've always wanted
Indulge in a massage

I was especially successful in improving my sleep patterns. I did get a new hair cut, drank more water, rinse with cooler water, cut back on coffee, started carrying around face wipes with me and washing make up off before exercising/bed more frequently, made an appointment to see a dermatologist, and ate out less. Great start, I think!

December's Goals:

Seek mentors and coaches - acting, voice, guitar, piano
Go to dance classes
Stretch every day
Find time to make crafts and watch movies
Research further education
Indulge in time to submit to agents and research auditions
Prepare for auditions as regular basis
Set aside time for hobbies

Wish me luck!

New Haircut!

What I *Wish* I Could Buy My Family For Christmas

With the Christmas season upon us, I'm sure I'm not the only one with the constant internal gift-brainstorming monologue running through my head. We need to find the perfect gift for each person on our list and so so so much thought goes into that selection. Debatably even too much thought. As a poor actor I have to budget all year to make sure I have that little extra money around this time, so I have cost to take into account. I don't mind splurging on a couple special people if the perfect gift presents itself to me, but even that is "within reason". Then there is the practicality of bringing it on the plane with me or sending it via Canada Post. At last there is each individuals WANTS vs their NEEDS to consider. Something that no one else in their life is going to think of and something that they won't go out and buy themselves. It has to be special. It has to be something only you would buy them. It has to create happy thoughts and memories and evoke gratitude. Something they will use and cherish forever... Where does one even start? 

Most years the right things just seem to jump out at me off the shelves. I consider myself a pretty good gift giver as I usually do end up with a really great gift for everyone. But this year feels a little different. Physical items aren't jumping out at me but instead I have the strong desire to give my family members things that cannot be put in boxes. 

It first occurred to me while doing some daily devotions over a morning tea. It was only beginning of November, but the annual gift monologue had already planted its seeds. I managed to shut it off for a half an hour while I made breakfast and then sat down with my Bible, turning to Galatians, one of my favorite books. And I came across this:

"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law" - Galatians 5:22-23

As the month continued on, this verse only grew more prominent in my mind. That's what I wish I could wrap up for the people I love. These metaphysical things that would theoretically guide them through the rest of their lives. The perfect gifts - lasting, special, needed. And my gifts have escalated beyond just the fruits of the holy spirit. They include things like self-awareness, pride, motivation, etc and I've picked the perfect "concept" for each loved one. 

If only I really could purchase these ideas for them. 

Here it is. My Christmas Shopping List for 2012. 

We'll start with the little ones.

My great nephews, Lyric and Saren - To them, I would give the gifts of Understanding and Empathy as they grow from babies and toddlers to children and then little people and then finally enter the world of adulthood with the knowledge that everyone is trying the best they can with what they have and what they know. 

To my nephews, Clay, Tye, Noah, and Colby, I give Respect, Cooperation, Loyalty, and Kindness to aide them in their ascents to teenage and adulthood. Though it's sometimes hard to conceive that these faces will one day be husbands and fathers to some lucky women, those days are not that far away in the grand scheme of things. As brothers, they can accomplish anything with cooperation and loyalty and from there I wish  that they grow into young men who apply that same respect and kindness they gave their peers for many years to their future lovers. 

To my nieces, Jacqueline, Meegan, Jessee, and Stephanie - Passion, Love, Dignity, Pride, Beauty. I believe that finding one's passion is enough motivation and drive to take a person to the very end of the earth and back. To love and be loved is one of the most powerful human abilities known to the universe. Be proud of who you are and where you come from and use that as motivation to take care of your bodies. You only get one, remember. You are all already so beautiful - inside and out - and my wish is that everyone you encounter in your life can see it like I do. 

To my sisters, Brenda, Jody, and Stacy - Joy, Patience, Appreciation. I wish that the rough patches of life be subsided with a soft voice and a gentle touch so when you look back on the memories of your children, only the positive ones matter and the joy and happiness of those memories will carry you through the rest of your years. You deserve appreciation for everything that you do as moms, but I would also grant you appreciation for the present. Time flies and we forget to cherish each moment, even the ones that are not so nice - because they will all be missed when it's all over. 

To my brothers Allen, Kevin, and Ray - Security, Assurance, Self-Control. My hope for you is that you are assured about the respectable men I look up to you as. You have created great role models and a high standard for me while dating and looking for a man that someday I will give my entire life to. I have watched how you have provided and cared for your families for almost as long as I have been alive. Your wives are lucky to have you as husbands and your children are lucky to have you as fathers. I hope you feel as secure as you seem and that you continue to put the importance things at the forefront of your lives.

To Ryan - Purpose and Integrity. To find a passion, something that motivates you. Something to live for. The reason why you were put on this earth. And to discover how satisfying it is to do the right things for the right reasons.

For Mom, I want to give something physical that possesses an omniscient power. I would like to give her an eraser to permanently erase all the hurt, mistakes, heartbreak, and grudges from the past. Courage to learn and move on from every challenge that life throws at her. Independence and the Assurance of knowing that she doesn't need anyone else to complete who she is as a person.

For Dad, Time. Time to play. More time spent doing things he loves with people he loves and less time working. The days are long, but the years are short. I was blessed to have him as a father, even if I did come along a little later in his life and my only hope is that he will get to walk me down the aisle and meet my children and watch them grow up and graduate from high school, just like he did with my brothers and sister and their children.

And lastly, for my grandparents, Forgiveness and Faithfulness. They were married for 25 years, then divorced for 25, and have been remarried for about 10 again. They have a story unlike any other that needs to be embraced. Past hurts need to be forgiven so that they can remain each other's one and only. It's a love story worth holding on to.

These are not things I can award to another person. There are only two beings that can endow a person with these things - oneself and God. Therefore, I will be praying for my family this Christmas. I will be praying that they feel the fortune I have felt to be a part of this family all of my 21 years. That they feel loved and are filled with joy not just this Christmas season but for the rest of all time to come.

Merry Christmas everyone. And remember the reason for the season. I love you all.